The Senegalese government has ordered the shutdown of more than 300 media outlets it deems non-compliant with the national Press Code, triggering widespread condemnation from media organizations and rights groups.
A decree signed on April 22, 2025, by the Minister of Communications, Alioune Sall, mandated that all non-compliant outlets cease broadcasting immediately. Of the 639 media houses that applied for regularization through the national platform, only 258 were approved, leaving 381 facing sanctions.
The move has drawn criticism from the Council of Press Broadcasters and Publishers of Senegal (CDEPS), which announced plans to challenge the decree in court, as well as the Senegalese Union of Information and Communication Professionals (SYNPICS), which cited acknowledged errors in the affected list.
International watchdog Article 19 also condemned the action, urging Senegalese authorities to suspend enforcement of the measure. The organization expressed concern that the crackdown contradicts the country’s international obligations to uphold freedom of expression, especially under Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. It warned that such restrictions should be exceptional and justified only by pressing concerns such as national security or public order.
The timing of the measure—just days before World Press Freedom Day on May 3—has further fueled outrage among media professionals and civil society actors across the region.
